
Named the Best Overall Cinnamon by Spruce Eats.
Our Zanzibar Cinnamon Verum (aka Ceylon or "true" cinnamon) is complex, herbal and a little savory, with notes of pine, citrus peel and sea salt. This cinnamon is the inner bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree. It's perfect for savory dishes like tomato sauces, stews, chili and barbecue rubs, as well as for baked goods and breakfasts like oatmeal or pancakes.
Cinnamon Verum is a subtle, savory cinnamon variety that may be different from the cinnamon you're used to, with a beautiful aroma and flavor that really comes out when the cinnamon is cooked. If you're looking for a more familiar but extra-sweet and spicy cinnamon, you might like our Royal Cinnamon as well.
Burlap & Barrel is the sole importer of Zanzibar spices to the US. Like all of the spices from our partner cooperative in Zanzibar, our Cinnamon Verum is grown organically.
- Origin: Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Aliases: True cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, soft stick cinnamon, dalchini
- Process: Sun-dried
- Ingredients: 100% True Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum)
- Tasting notes: Orange Peel • Brown Sugar • Raw Honey
COOKING
- Sprinkle onto apples and apple pies before baking
- Add to oatmeal, chia seeds, or other sweet breakfast
- Shake into butternut squash soup or pumpkin curry
- In Spiced Winter Squash (community recipe)
- In Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cookies (community recipe)
- In Mahi Mahi with Stewed Spiced Peaches (community recipe)
- Pairs well with: Pemba Cloves, Stone Nutmeg, Sweet Allspice
SOURCING
Our cinnamon is the inner bark of the Cinnamomum verum, tree also known as true cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon.
It is grown by a cooperative of smallholder farmers on the Zanzibar islands off the east coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, many of whom have been cultivating cinnamon and other spices (including our cloves, nutmeg and black pepper) for generations.
It grows on the steep hillsides rising above the beach, where it thrives in the hot sun, salty breeze and sandy soil, a terroir that contributes to a subtle, smooth flavor without any bitterness. The cinnamon is hand-cut and sun-dried to order throughout the year to guarantee the freshest and most intense flavor.
Meet the Farmer: Bakari Omar is pictured holding a branch of a cinnamon tree that he just cut. The next step is to shave off the bark, some of which will be ground into powder, and some of which will be made into shavings.
- Reviews
- Questions
- flavor
- cinnamon
- spices
- taste
- oatmeal
- aroma
- company
- baking
- depth
- coffee

The royal cinnamon is great, but this cinnamon verum will always be my fave. I prefer its subtleties and savory notes. It is definitely lighter in flavor than the royal cinnamon, so don't go in expecting it to be as strong or spicy, because it's not, because it's a different cinnamon. I add it to coffee (to get cafe de olla vibes) but also it's great in soups and tomato sauces.

Very bland spice

I really enjoy every spice I get from B& B. They are all beautifully fragrant with excellent taste. I feel like I hit the jackpot finding this company. So far my family loves the royal cinnamon the most. Old-fashioned cinnamon toast is a regular here these days. Thank you B & B

Whatever I buy from B&B is always of optimal freshness, and I find things I can’t easily find elsewhere.

I have been baking professionally with cinnamon for more than two decades, and this cinnamon might be as close as I can get to the source. I use it *inside* cakes/batters/cookies I want a background of warmth, or a hint of je ne sais quoi. It's lovely!